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May 22, 2011

G46: Red Sox 5, Cubs 1

Wakefield was supremely economical, throwing only 35 pitches through the first four innings (and 64 through six), sending the Cubs back to the dugout almost as soon as they reached the batters box.

Wakefield allowed a leadoff single in the third, and then erased the runner with a double play on his very next pitch. A strikeout/wild pitch put a man on in the fifth, and a leadoff single in the sixth was stranded at third. In the seventh, two doubles brought Chicago a run, and cut Boston's lead to 3-1.

Alfonzo Soriano was the potential tying run at the plate, and Terry Francona wasted no time, replacing Wakefield (6.2-4-1-0-3, 75) with Daniel Bard, who fanned Soriano to end the threat. Bard then pitched a perfect eighth, before Jonathan Papelbon closed it out. Bot allowed a two-out double, but he had a four-run lead, and there was little to worry about.

Wakefield received credit for his 194th career win, and #180 in a Red Sox uniform. He needs 13 more wins to set a new Boston franchise record.

Adrian Gonzalez went 4-for-4, and scored twice. It was the 20th time in his career Gonzalez had four hits in a game, though only the second instance of doing in four trips to the plate. The other 4H/4PA game was for the Padres on June 28, 2006, which was also the only other time beside tonight that Gonzalez had four hits, and no RBI. (Mike Cameron played CF for San Diego that day.) Bert went 4-for-6 in the first game of the Cubs series, on Friday.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered in the fifth -- his 3rd dong in his last four games -- and Kevin Youkilis cracked a stand-up, two-run triple into the triangle in the seventh.

Russell is a 25-year-old left-hander (and son of former Red Sox pitcher Jeff Russell) who debuted with the Cubs last season, pitching in 57 games out of the bullpen. He gave up 10.1 H/9 and was below league average in allowing runs (4.96 ERA, 88 ERA+).

This season has been a mix of starting and relieving for Russell. Looking at his game log, he has made six appearances in May, throwing 83 (his last start), 11, 1, 15, 9, 39 pitches. Only two of his six May games were for more than three batters.

So that was some implosion last night, huh? We were driving home, turned on the radio, it was 3-1, and before we got to our house ten minutes later or so, it was 5-3, opened the door, turned on the TV, and it was 8-3, and so on...

there is a strange relationship with annc. and beanballs. they love to get all high and mighty about the good of the game and how someone could get seriously hurt, but they also laugh about how mean ol' bob gibson was (or drysdale) and talk in awe about how he'd hold a grudge for years and drill guys.

So apparently the Cubs manager thinks the hit to Byrd's face was intentional. What makes the "retaliation" seem not so manly, but more like kids pretending to be manly, is the idea that hitting another player on the backside somehow evens the score vs a guy who is out for weeks with facial fractures. Touche, Quade, Touche.

I agree, I'd let the players sort it out. However, the book of unwritten rules is stupid. There's no concrete anything. So players take offense based on their own interpretation of this non-book. Usually, making a mountain out a molehill when they're having a bad day.

Let's hope MLB doesn't become like the NBA or NFL where the refs control the outcome with arbitrary fouls, holding penalties, and "behavior rules."

Perhaps we could also institute uniform violations like the NFL. But why stop there?

Celebrate after a HR... take the run off the board.

Pitcher fist pumps after a strikeout - EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION: runner on second base as a penalty.

Or maybe we could throw flags on the managers for arguing calls: add or subtract balls/strikes based on the behavior of the coaches.

Not sure you are still following this, Laura,but I just want to respond to your comment. I agree that violence is sometimes appropriate---in self-defense or defense of others. But I cannot understand deliberately throwing a ball at a player for no strategic reason other than revenge. Taking out the second baseman is a strategic move---preventing him from being able to make an out. Same thing with rough plays at the plate. But there is no strategic gain from throwing a 90 mph missile at the body of a batter. I can see throwing inside to move a batter who is crowding the plate, but just to hit him because another pitcher accidentally hit one of his teammates? Pointless.

And I don't consider managers yelling at umps violent at all. I don't like it when they start pushing and shoving each other or when players starting swinging at each other, but let them all yell and curse as much as they want.